Don't Leave
by renivatio
Summary: ichiruki oneshot. after leaving, rukia's returned once again to ichigo's house. what is the realisation they both come to? -sort of a redo of "And She Replies Never". same ending, different story.


Discalimer: if i owned bleach, i would be very very happy. as it so happens, i am not very very happy so it follows that i do not own bleach.

just another fluffly little thing that i did when i got bored. it was my original idea for "And She Replies 'Never'" but when i was writing that one, i was feeling angsty so it turned out angsty. this is the more light-hearted version which is actually completely different.

* * *

He could not believe her. He just _could not _believe her.

After all, it was she who had left.

She had _left. _

And he'd let her go. Not because he'd wanted to. And not because he was powerless to do anything about it. But because she'd convinced him that it was what she'd wanted. Her eyes had been sad but he'd allowed himself to be convinced by her pathetic attempt at a smile. He could see she was hurting and he certainly wasn't going to make it any harder for her. Because he understood, that was the way things were meant to be.

So he didn't speak out. He didn't cry out the words that he was yearning to say, the words that were carving holes in his heart. But as he turned his back to the world of Soul Society, unable to contain himself any longer, he whispered the words to himself,

"_Rukia, don't leave"._

And after all that, after _all that_, this crazy, bunny-obsessed, _midget_ had the _nerve_ to come back!

For a visit she said! And to demand to stay in his house, no less.

"By the way Ichigo, you better start cleaning out your closet because I'm not sleeping anywhere else"

And she was at it again. Not more than five minutes home and she was bossing him around. How she could have the cheek to do so when he was almost twice as tall as her, he could never fathom.

'Ichigo, did you hear me?"

Persistent as always. Annoying little idiot.

"Ichigo!"

Sigh.

"Yeah, yeah! I heard you. Your closet's exactly the way you left it".

Puzzlement flashed across Rukia's porcelain features. While it was the truth, Ichigo realised that was probably not the smartest thing in the world to say.

"….Exactly the way I left it? But Ichigo, I left three months ago…"

Ichigo shrugged.

Then turned pink.

'Shit."

Ichigo made a desperate dash for the stairs. He cursed his forgetfulness as he raced up, two, three steps at a time. Despite her elfin figure, Rukia was hot on his heels and by the time Ichigo had reached the top step, she'd caught up to him. She took an impulsive dive for his legs, bringing him down with a groan. In that slight moment of confusion, she lightly stepped over him and dashed into his room, deftly locking the door behind her.

Now that the tussle was over and she had won just as she knew she would have, Rukia calmed herself, looking demure once more. Outside Ichigo had taken to banging heavily on the door but she ignored his antics. Her eyes brightened as she took in the familiar view of his room. Nothing much had changed, his plays of Shakespeare were still on the shelves, his bed was still unmade and his socks were still lying on the floor.

Her glance took in the closet and she walked quickly over to it. Her dear old closet where she had spent many nights. Rukia smiled. She reached out and opened the doors, curious to see what had flustered Ichigo so much.

Instinctively she looked down at the bedding but there was nothing unusual there. In fact, as he had said, it was exactly the way she had left it. But as her eyes slowly moved upwards, she caught her breath. The walls of the closet were covered with photographs. Photographs of…._her._ Her by herself, a solitary smiling figure against some forgotten backdrop. Photographs of her with Ichigo, a quality in her smile in those photographs striking Rukia as strange. Strange but… so _right._ There were photographs of Rukia with Ichigo's family, Yuzu, Karin and Isshin. Rukia could also see photos of all her friends, Inoue, Chad, . Moments in time that she had forgotten, captured forever on these pieces of paper. Every happiness she had ever felt since crashing into Ichigo's life was here, lovingly plastered on these walls. Rukia smiled back at her multiple grinning reflections as she realised the _real_ reason she had returned.

Outside, Ichigo had giving up on brute force and was now attempting to talk his way in.

"Rukia, it's just some junk, I'll clear it out".

'Rukia!"

"C'mon Rukia, this is my house and my bedroom, you can't lock me out!"

Rukia opened the door and poked her head out.

"Do you want me to leave?", she asked, mock hurt swirling in her violet orbs.

Ichigo sighed and rolled his eyes. "No, you idiot, I don't want you to leave, all I'm sayin-"

A pillow that seemed to appear from nowhere suddenly came in contact with Ichigo's face. Hard. With a groan he stumbled backwards and fell onto the ground. Rukia knelt down beside him.

"You're the idiot. Tell me what you just said".

"It's just some junk-"

"No, after that."

"MY bedroom-"

"No, _after_ that".

"…I…", Ichigo failed. "I… don't want you to leave?"

"See? It wasn't so hard was it?"

Caught off-guard, Ichigo nodded mutely.

"Next time you'd save us both a lot of trouble if you just said it like that. I wouldn't have left if you'd told me not to." Rukia's eyes softened, " You don't have to live in memories Ichigo".

Realisation dawned on Ichigo. Taking her hands gently in his, he looked at her intensely.

"Don't leave", he said.

As she pulled him into an embrace, Rukia whispered in his ear, "Never".

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love it? hate it? review please )


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